1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a magnetic-tape-cassette comprising a deck for playing magnetic-tape cassettes, which deck is constructed to be actuated via two actuating rods and comprises a loading mechanism to insert and lower the magnetic-tape cassette into a play position and to lift said cassette into an unloading position and eject it by means of a third actuating rod, a lift lever and an actuating lever, a follower of the third actuating rod, which follower cooperates with a pivoting guide of the actuating lever, pivoting the actuating lever into the unloading position with the aid of an eject spring when the guide allows said pivotal movement to be performed, and a follower pin of the lift lever cooperating with a lift guide of the third actuating rod to lower or to lift the lift lever under control of the lift guide during actuation of the third actuating rod.
2. Description of the Related Art
A magnetic-tape apparatus of the type referred to above is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4.623.945. The deck can be controlled by means of three actuating rods, two for fast-wind functions and a third one for an eject function. The actuating rods are operated manually. There is provided a loading mechanism comprising a cassette holder which can be lowered into a play position and which can be lifted into a loading/unloading position. Lowering and lifting is achieved by means of a lift guide on the third actuating rod. The lifting and lowering operations are controlled via a lift lever which cooperates with the lift guide of the third actuating rod by means of a follower. Moreover, there is provided an actuating lever having a pivoting guide which cooperates with a follower pin of the third actuating rod. When a magnetic-tape cassette is inserted into the cassette holder, which is in its loading/unloading position, a cassette coupler on the actuating lever engages reel-hub bore in the magnetic-tape cassette. The magnetic-tape cassette then moves the cassette coupler in the direction of insertion and pivots the actuating lever clockwise into a position which it occupies in the play mode. During this pivotal movement the follower of the third actuating rod becomes disengaged from the pivoting guide of the actuating lever and an eject spring urges the third actuating rod forwards. This forward movement allows the follower pin of the lift lever to move obliquely downwards in the lift guide, causing the lift lever to be pivoted about its pivotal axis and the cassette holder to be lowered into the play position by the front end of the lift lever.
The outward movement of the third actuating rod is obtained by means of an over-centre spring. When the third actuating rod is pushed inwards to lift the cassette holder the upward movement of the follower pin of the lift lever in the lift guide proceeds with comparative difficulty. This effect becomes even more pronounced as the lift guide is steeper.